Misty's Rebellion
by Dolyn
Summary: Team Rocket has taken over Kanto, and as far as Misty can tell no one cares as much as she does. So she makes plans to escape to Kanto, with help from Ash, Brock, Tracy, and her mysterious new student Tia.
1. Freedom not Forgotten

Chapter One; Freedom Not Forgotten  
  
The sun had just started to burn away the dew that had settled on Cerulean city overnight, and shop owners were opening up. Schoolboys and Schoolgirls laughed happily on their way to the newly built Pokemon Academy, Nurse Joy was handing out sample Normal-type vitamins, and Officer Jenny helped a young girl get her rattata down from a tree. It was, all around, a pretty normal day.  
  
Misty, watching all of this from a third story window seat in the Gym, frowned. Her eyes lingered over the children, seeing the red 'R's on each of their backpacks. She glanced at Nurse Joy again and her frown deepened at the sight of the new uniform she wore; a long black dress, her hair tucked up under a black nurses cap, also sporting the sign of Team Rocket. Officer Jenny worse a similar ensemble, minus the nurses cap and plus a tranquilizer gun slung over her back. She sighed. Why was it that everyone around her had gotten used to this so quickly? It had only been what, two years?  
  
"Misty?" Brock was standing in the door, apron on, holding a tray. "I've got breakfast for you."  
  
She nodded and took the tray from him, and he sat down next to her. "Are Ash and Tracy up yet?"  
  
"No. They stayed up late last night, watching the Rockin' Rocket concert on TV and eating." He snorted. "I swear, those two."  
  
Misty laughed. "You'd be watching it too, if there were any girls in the band."  
  
Brock frowned, then grinned at her. "Oh, gimme a break. You'd have pulled me away by my ear. I'm not that stupid."  
  
"Yeah, I would've." Misty turned away from him and continued to watch the scenes below her. Coming up the path towards the gym, she saw, was a preteen girl with poke balls on her belt and a bulbasaur walking next to her. 'Another challenger,' she thought to herself. Getting up, she stretched.  
  
"Get one of the arenas ready, would you? There's another brainwashed youth coming."  
  
"Which arena?"  
  
"The one with the nets."  
  
"No problem," said Brock, taking off his apron. He paused by the door. "Are you alright?"  
  
She blinked at him. "I'm fine. Why?" He shrugged and left.  
  
"Nice guy," she muttered to herself as she picked some poke balls off the shelf.  
  
* * *  
  
Misty ran her fingers over the poke balls at her waist, and settled on Golduck. She held up the poke ball, signaling that she was ready, and the girl on the other side held up hers. Misty frowned, seeing that the poke ball was black. She's from the academy, she thought. With the pokemon they gave her. She sighed and released golduck onto one of the concrete islands. The girl released a Squirtle directly into the water. A bulbasaur sat next to her, watching happily.  
  
Brock, up in the electronics booth, flipped a switch which turned on the scoreboard. On the side of the pool, Tracy let the flag drop. "Begin!" he shouted.  
  
"Squirtle! Dive underwater!"  
  
"Golduck! To the far island!" Golduck jumped nimbly from island to island as the enemy Squirtle went under. "Into the water, Golduck! Just tread!" He hopped in obediently.  
  
"Squirtle!" yelled the girl. "Headbutt attack!"  
  
The squirtle charged, and quickly got itself caught in one of the clear nets that were strung underwater between islands. "Books don't help as much as real experience, do they?" Misty shouted to her opponent. "Golduck, Rage attack. Knock it out, you know what to do." She turned and left the arena, entering the lounge area behind it and plopping down on one of the couches. Ash leaned on the back of the couch, looking at her.  
  
"You shouldn't do that, you know," he said. "Leave in the middle of a battle like that."  
  
"It wasn't in the middle. I won. One pokemon each, those're the rules in my gym."  
  
"Did you tell her that before?"  
  
"She knew. She's an Academy student; she probably researched me before coming."  
  
He looked at her for a few more seconds, then turned away, grabbed a soda out of a nearby minifridge, and sat down next to her. He looked in the general direction of the TV, but Misty didn't think he was really watching.  
  
"Why do you still do it, Misty?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Battle."  
  
"I have to. No one else to run the gym."  
  
Ash turned his head sharply to look at her and was about to say something when Tracy led the girl in. She had her Squirtle cradled in her arms, and was sniffling a bit. Misty stood up.  
  
"Now, now, you know you aren't supposed to show sadness after losing a battle. Besides, unless Golduck got a bit carried away, Squirtle's not dead."  
  
The girl looked down at her Squirtle wonderingly. "It's not? But. but. this is a Gym match. it's supposed to be to the death.that's illegal!"  
  
The squirtle coughed quietly. Misty nodded.  
  
"I do it the old way. The way it was before Team Rocket took over." She looked at the girl. "Do you even remember that?"  
  
"Of course I do! I was ten, just licensed to have bulbasaur. I'm not THAT little."  
  
"Bulba," said bulbasaur. Misty turned around and shrugged, then sat back down on the couch.  
  
"Go to Nurse Joy, and tell her I sent you. She'll heal your Squirtle and not tell anyone."  
  
"Thank you," said the girl quietly, and started to leave. Then she stopped. Bulbasaur looked at her questioningly. "Oh.I'm Tia."  
  
Misty didn't say anything, just watched TV. Tia walked out, Bulbasaur following her. Ash watched her leave, then nodded at Tracy. They both left Misty alone with her thoughts. 


	2. Memories

Chapter Two;  
Memories "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"  
  
Sweat beaded on Ash's forehead. Jessie stood on the other side of the room, smiling grimly as her Arbok squeezed Squirtle. Butch and Cassidy sat in the bleachers of the old gym, watching blankly as the far wall slowly burned down. James wasn't there - neither were Misty, Brock, or Tracy.  
  
Pikachu jumped up and sent a thunderbolt down to Arbok. Its grip on Squirtle loosened enough for it to escape just as pikachu landed. It looked wrong somehow, and for one long second Ash wasn't sure what had happened. Then he realized that for the first time, the worst time for it to happen, pikachu had landed badly. There was an ominous crack that sounded much louder than it should have. Suddenly everything seemed to be moving in slow motion -  
  
Pikachu cried out sharply and fell on its side.  
  
Ash tried to run to it. One of the many Grunts standing around held him back.  
  
Arbok charged pikachu, jaws open wide.  
  
Jessie was laughing cruelly.  
  
Pikachu was shaking as Arbok's jaws sunk into its neck.  
  
The Grunt let ash go.  
  
Now everything was moving much to fast - Ash was running to pikachu, Arbok was going back to Jessie, now Ash was holding pikachu against his chest. The little pokemon had blood in its yellow fur. Its eyes were losing their shine.  
  
Misty ran in, holding a handkerchief over her nose and mouth to keep from breathing in smoke. She could dimly see Ash through the smoggy air. He was on his knees, hunched over something he was holding, shaking. Sobbing, she realized, as she saw the yellow and black ear poking out over his arm.  
  
"Shit. Ash!"  
  
He looked up at her. She could see it in his eyes, knew what had happened, knew they had lost. She ran to him, hugged him, looked him in the eye and told him to wake up.  
  
He did. Tracy was hanging over the side of the bed above him, watching. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ash rolled over so he faced away from him. After a minute he heard Tracy lie back down on his bunk.  
  
Sorry this chapter's a bit short - some of them are like that. ^_^ But, I've got a whole bunch written up already, and will be updating more soon. 


	3. A New Student

Chapter 3; A New Student  
  
"Misty?" It was early morning, and Tracy was knocking on Misty's door. He had a tray Brock had sent up with breakfast and the mail. "Misty, are you awake?" She opened the door, her hair a mess but at least awake, and took the tray. "Thanks Trace." "No problem. Oh, and there's a visitor downstairs for you. That girl you battled yesterday. Says she just wants to talk, not fight."  
Misty nodded and closed the door. Tracy sighed and left.  
  
A few minutes later Misty came down, munching on some berries and carrying her bag. In the entry hall Tia was waiting for her, bulbasaur by her side. She was clutching a black backpack as if it were a lifeline. Misty thought at first that it was a standard Academy issue, until she saw that it was leather and had a much smaller R than most. She stopped in front of the girl and sized her up. About 5'6", she thought to herself. Blonde with blue eyes. Black sleeveless shirt and short skirt - a Rocket poster child. She snorted.  
"What do you want? A rematch? Your squirtle isn't enough?"  
Tia looked hurt.  
"I don't want to fight, I." she stopped and sighed. "I was wondering if I could be a gym trainer, actually. At this gym. I'd pay for food and a room, I have water pokemon, and I have recommendations." she trailed off when Misty didn't say anything. Bulbasaur sat down quietly.  
"You're the best I've seen so far, Tia, I have to give you that."  
"Thank you, I've been training for age-"  
"That's not what I meant. As a trainer, you're nowhere near the best. Any of my friends could beat you - why, their pokemon could beat you without orders. What I meant is that you're the best Team Rocket has sent to watch me." Misty smiled sadly when Tia looked shocked. "What, didn't they tell you why you were sent here? They're always trying to get an operative in here. Suspect me of something."  
Tia opened and closed her mouth, eyes wide and brimming. Finally she sat down on the floor and put her face in her hands. "They didn't tell me to come here. They wouldn't want me to. I came on my own." She looked up at Misty. "Please, I want you to like me. I don't want to be a Rocket, I just want to do well, and you're the best Water trainer around. I want to learn from experience, not from books, and I want to make something of myself. I thought you would understand." She buried her face in her hands again. Misty started to walk outside, then stopped and looked back at Tia.  
"Okay, it's a deal. You pay me for a room and training, you pay Brock for food, and you leave Tracy and Ash alone. Especially Ash. Now, I have some shopping to do. Come with me, we'll get you a new outfit and you can carry the bags."  
  
Three hours later, Misty and Tia put down the bags in the kitchen. Brock watched them.  
"Did you get more dishwashing liquid like I said? And light bulbs? And milk?"  
"Yes, Brock." Misty rolled her eyes and handed him some light bulbs. "We also got Tia some new clothes." Tia grinned, twirling around to show off her new outfit - light blue capris with a short green sarong over them, a sleeveless blue shirt, and a blue kerchief for her hair. Brock whistled.  
"She looks like SHE should be the Leader, Misty. Guess there's a new 'prettiest girl' in the gym." Misty stuck out her tongue, and turned to Tia.  
"If he annoys you, smack him. I always do." She turned to unpack more groceries, and Tia giggled.  
"Don't worry, Tia," said Brock. "I'm an okay guy. Right, Misty?"  
"Yeah. Right. Whatever you say, Brock." She handed some vegetables to Tia, and noticed Ash standing in the doorway.  
"Good Morning, Ash! This is Tia. You remember, the one I beat? She's my new student. We went shopping."  
Ash nodded, and got an apple out of the fridge. "You two weren't so cheerful around each other last time I saw you."  
"Shopping," said Tia matter-of-factly, "is a bonding experience." 


	4. Revelations

Chapter 4; Revelations  
  
"Why would I tell YOU? Just because we worked together doesn't mean I had to tell you about my personal life. Besides, it's not like I told other people. Just my mom, the girls, and Toni. He didn't even tell his family who their mother was." Jessie glared down at James, her hair mussed and her hands clenched into fists. He stared up at her from the chair she had told him to pull up.  
  
"So why are you telling me now? What's the point of telling me about your girls now, when we're not even working together? You're in charge, you don't have to tell me anything."  
  
"I'm sending Mella into Johto, undercover. I need you to give her a couple strong pokemon. She likes grass ones. I knew you wouldn't give her the best unless I told you."  
  
James closed his eyes, mentally reviewing the list of Pokemon in Team Rockets reserves. "I will never understand why your family has such a hard time admitting you're related," he commented sarcastically. "You'd think the people in charge of Team Rocket would have a better family life."  
  
"Lay off. Giovanni being my father was just as much a surprise to me as it was to him. Luckily I'm not old and fat, so he's the one who had the heart attack. Now what do you have for Mella?"  
  
"Well, we just got a shipment of Tangelas from Pallet town, and I took an Ivysaur from a Grunt who couldn't control it. And my old Victreebell, who is, of course, very well trained."  
  
"Good. I need the strongest Tangela and your Victreebell on my desk by five. In their balls, of course. Standard red and white ones, since she's undercover."  
  
"What about the Ivysaur?"  
  
"No need for it. I gave all three of the girls a Bulbasaur instead of child support a few years ago."  
  
James shook his head wonderingly as he replayed the scene in his head. Jessie, a mother? Horrid thought. He pitied the girls - then again, growing up as daughters of Antonio Sliph probably wasn't too bad. They probably had the highest-tech toys in the world.  
  
He turned a corner and knocked on Jessie's door, then entered. Her secretary took the poke balls from him, and handed him a few memos about pokemon shipments. He thanked her, and left, eager to get home to his own small family. 


	5. Lessons Begin

Chapter Five; Training Begins  
  
"Which poke food did you give them this morning?"  
  
"The ones labeled for them."  
  
Misty sighed. "You didn't even notice that they were ALL bulbasaur food?"  
  
Tia stared up at her for a moment, then turned to look at her pokemon, most of whom were nursing stomach aches. "They were? Why weren't they in the right jars?"  
  
"Because, Tia, you're supposed to be able to tell. If the jars are mixed up, you're supposed to go to Brock and say, 'This isn't food for water pokemon, there's not enough salt or meat in it, and they're allergic to this kind of fiber.' You need to know all the needs of your pokemon and be able to cater to them. This isn't Rocket Academy, Tia. This is the real world. Where pokemon have needs, not just you."  
  
Tia looked down at her feet, biting her lip. "I.I'm sorry. May I please take them to the Pokecenter?  
  
Misty nodded and smiled. "Now THAT'S the attitude I want. Get them fixed up as quickly as possible." Tia gathered up her pokemon and headed for the door. "Don't forget to buy some more of that Antidote 4-C for your Wooper!" Misty called after her. "He's still got that cough!"  
  
She turned and walked to the kitchen, where Brock was preparing lunch. He tossed her a roll, and she sat down at the counter.  
  
"Tough day already, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," said Misty, swallowing her first bite. "Tia failed the food thing. I can't understand it. I know those pokemon have been having specialized food right from the egg, she really cares about them and can afford it without any problems. So why can't she tell the difference between the foods?"  
  
Brock grabbed a roll for himself and sat down across from her. "Maybe she hasn't been the one feeding them."  
  
"What do you mean? She stole them or something? She may be trained as a Rocket, but she wouldn't do that."  
  
"No, I know she wouldn't. I'm not saying that. But she's really rich, right? Her whole family probably is. So maybe at home she has someone who does that stuff for her. Feeds her pokemon, washes her clothes, that sort of thing."  
  
Misty poured herself some juice, frowning. "She can't be THAT rich."  
  
"Why not?" Brock watched her as Misty capped the juice and sat back down. "Maybe the question we should be asking is, 'where is Tia from?' She said something about people not wanting her here. What if there's someone looking for her?"  
  
"Hmm." Misty sighed, looking out the window. Tia, she saw, was talking to one of the many boys in the town who had fallen for her. Everyone loved the girl - surely someone missed her? "I'll look into it. Make some discreet inquiries, ask Tia about her past."  
  
"Good," said Brock, nodding and getting up. "I'm glad that's settled. The burgers would've started to burn if we'd been worrying about pretty young students any longer."  
  
Misty laughed, and went to help Tia give Wooper his medicine. 


End file.
